Week 1, new media continuities, Glenn Arnold

Lev Manovich suggests that the people who have “articulated fundamental ideas of human-computer interaction” are the major modern artists. I agree with this to a point – new media has created new artistic forms and relationships. But I don’t think these forms necessarily have to supplant existing artistic modes. Experimentation with interactive storytelling can be rewarding, but so can Manovich’s more traditional “romantic” idea of solitary authorship. As a writer, I love to create narrative, but I also like to be told a story. I can fully enjoy reading someone else’s story and not feel any need to directly interact with the words on the page or the screen. The interaction occurs within my own consciousness, as I process and comprehend the effect created by these words, which may then subsequently influence my own writing. I don’t disagree with Manovich’s point that new artistic forms are emerging as a result of technology, but I think these new forms can still coexist with existing modes. The idea of a strong narrative thread is a continuity that can be applied to any form of storytelling, whether it is interactive or uni-directional.